As we enter the second half of 2025, the Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative turns its focus to a significant shift – how Australian employers collect, interpret, and apply neurodiversity data in workplace safety. August is a critical month for building momentum following the recent national survey and leading into the upcoming release of the Neurodiversity Data at Work guide.
This article outlines what’s new, what’s coming, and what practical steps safety leaders can take to embed neuroinclusive practices that reduce risk and support all workers.
National Survey on Workplace Neurodiversity Data – What You Need to Know
In June 2025, the Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and Amaze conducted a national consultation on neurodiversity data collection in workplaces. The survey, now closed, aimed to inform a first-of-its-kind national guide on respectful and effective workplace data practices.
Why does this matter for safety? Because collecting meaningful data about neurodivergent employees can help identify both physical and psychological risk factors that often go unrecognised such as the different ways that neurodivergent workers think, learn, communicate, regulate attention and emotion, perceive and respond to risk and experience the physical environment.
Participation in the consultation was strong, with responses from large enterprises, small businesses, and neurodivergent individuals across sectors. The results will shape guidance on ethical data use and informed consent, topics that sit at the heart of inclusive safety planning.
Preparing for the “Neurodiversity Data at Work” Guide Release
The finalised national guide is scheduled for release in September 2025, offering a framework for how to collect and apply neurodiversity data while complying with legal and cultural standards. The guide will help employers:
- Understand how to ask the right questions respectfully
- Use the data to improve onboarding, training, and task assignment
- Meet WHS obligations under the Risk Management Code of Practice 2021
For safety and HR teams, August is the ideal time to review your internal systems. Are workers able to safely disclose their needs? Are your incident reports or task allocations reflecting a diversity of neurological profiles?
Benchmarking Insights – City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index 2025
While Australia awaits local data, global benchmarks offer critical insights. In the UK the City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index 2025, launched earlier this year, collected input from over 5,000 neurodivergent workers and 1,000 employers.
Key findings included:
- Nearly 1 in 3 neurodivergent workers were dissatisfied with employer support
- Onboarding processes were described as “overwhelming” or “confusing”
- Over 20% had taken leave for burnout or stress without formal disclosure
- Workers lacking support were twice as likely to consider tribunal action
Though UK-based, these patterns are echoed anecdotally in Australia and point to clear opportunities for improvement.
What Australian Employers Can Learn from the Findings
Many Australian businesses may unknowingly rely on compliance-focused policies that assume all workers think and function in roughly the same way. But if 15 – 20% of the global population is neurodivergent and 65% of those are of working age a one-size-fits-all approach to safety and risk management will fail to manage risk, or potentially introduce new and unmanaged risk for a substantial minority of the workforce that think and function differently. For example:
- Training materials are often delivered in one format, ignoring different styles of learning
- PPE selections are standardised, with little consideration to sensory processing differences
- Fatigue policies focus on shift length, start and finish times and hours between shifts, without considering individual risk factors.
These gaps don’t just affect wellbeing, they increase safety risks through miscommunication, disengagement, and procedural breakdowns.
Case Study – EY’s Leadership in Neuroinclusion
One local example of good practice is EY Australia, which has taken deliberate steps to support neurodivergent staff. According to a recent DCA blog, EY has:
- Appointed Autism Workplace Champions
- Implemented a neuroinclusion framework across teams
- Embedded neuroaffirming design into recruitment, task design, and mentoring
The result? Improved staff retention, better team cohesion, and a stronger culture of safety. Their approach shows that neuroinclusive workplaces are not a luxury, they’re a business advantage.
What This Means for Risk Management and WHS Compliance
Inclusive safety is not about giving a minority group special treatment, and it is not just a disability employment obligation anymore either. Recognising and understanding neurodiversity in the workplace is an important and necessary element that the person conducting a business or undertaking can demonstrate they are discharging their primary duty of care under the Work Health and Safety Act.
Considering individual differences and vulnerabilities when identifying, assessing and controlling is a necessary compliance requirement, not an optional extra.
When neurodivergent workers aren’t considered in planning and risk management, WHS strategies can fail at the execution stage, triggering preventable incidents and exposing employers to legal liability.
August provides an opportunity to align neurodiversity inclusion with proactive compliance strategies especially ahead of the WHSQ 2025 Construction Campaign.
Practical Actions You Can Take This Month
To make meaningful progress in August:
- Review internal data systems – Are your reporting processes safe for disclosure?
- Update onboarding and safety training – Include multiple training formats (visual, text, audio).
- Prepare for the September guide – Allocate staff to review and implement findings.
- Trial fit-testing options – Include neurofriendly PPE with sensory-safe materials.
- Conduct inclusive consultation – Use anonymous forms or one-on-one meetings to gather input.
Resources and Tools to Support Your Journey
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When will the Neurodiversity Data at Work guide be available?
The guide is expected to launch in September 2025.
2. How can I use the survey data in my WHS planning?
Incorporate findings into your risk assessments, training, and consultation frameworks.
3. Is participation in the City & Guilds Index open to Australians?
Yes, Australian employers can benchmark themselves using the Index’s global standards.
4. What’s the link between neurodiversity and safety risk?
Exclusion or miscommunication can increase procedural errors and psychological risk.
5. Are we legally required to tailor controls for neurodivergent workers?
Yes, under Australia’s WHS codes, controls must suit the worker not just the hazard.
6. Where can I get help implementing these changes?
The Neurodiverse Safe Work Initiative provides toolkits, training, and advisory support.
Final Thoughts – The Mid-Year Turning Point for Neuroinclusive Safety
August is more than a planning month, it’s a call to action. The data is coming. The gaps are visible and with this, the risk of harm is reasonably foreseeable. The tools to close these are within reach. By acting now, Australian employers can create safer, fairer, and more productive workplaces, before the September guide lands and while there’s still time to lead.